Monday, May 26, 2014

Grand College of Rites of the United States of America Meets Social Media

For some time, I have looked at and drooled over the listings of rituals published by the Grand College of Rites of the United States of America. It matters little that as a non "mainstream" Mason, I cannot join it. It also doesn't matter that those issues that are of the greatest interest to me are officially out of print and utterly unavailable anywhere.

To my utter delight, I became aware today that the  Grand College of Rites of the United States of America has started a Face Book page and appears to be re-energized.

The reason that I am so happy to see a renewal of activity in this organization, even though I find their claimed motive of "the elimination of sporadic efforts to resuscitate or perpetuate Rites, Systems and Orders of Freemasonry in the United States, except to bring them under control of the Grand College of Rites" to be more than a little odd, (and probably legally unrealistic)  is that the Grand College of Rites of the United States of America represents one of the few resources available to Anglophone Masons in the United States to learn about other forms of Freemasonry besides their own in a way devoid of bias or bigotry.

Familiarity with the diversity within the Masonic world is healthy. It reduces the tendency toward disrespect for other rites and obediences, and offers those who explore these materials a means to not only appreciate the wide variation in Masonic ritual, but to gain a greater appreciation and understanding of their own ritual practices, and how they came to be as they are.

So, I strongly urge any Freemason who meets the entrance requirements for this organization to join.




https://www.facebook.com/GrandCollegeofRites?ref=profile

http://grandcollegeofrites.org/how-to-join.php

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